Monitoring protocol for coastal reefs. Version 1.0.

Abstract

The aim of this protocol is to elucidate the methodology and rationale applied in the Long-Term Research Program for Coastal Habitats in Espírito Santo to monitor marine biodiversity in coastal reefs of the Eastern Brazil Marine Eco-region, in the South Atlantic. The Long Term Research Program Coastal Habitats of Espírito Santo LTER HCES started in 2017 and is located on the east coast of Brazil (Fig. 1), with a focus on coastal ecosystems, including estuaries, mangroves, coastal reefs, and rhodolith beds. This is an innovative initiative to assess the spatio-temporal patterns of coastal ecosystems in the Eastern Marine Eco-region of Brazil, where there is a decadal trend of warming. The program combines research and conservation, applied at three Conservation Units: Costa das Algas Environmental Protection Area, Santa Cruz Wildlife Refuge, and the Municipal Integral Protection Area of the Piraquê-Açu and Piraquê-Mirim rivers. The projects in LTER HCES aim to investigate the interactions between abiotic, climatic, and ecological dynamics in the benthic communities and ichthyofauna assemblies within several coastal ecosystems.